Beginning the Path
by Steffan Karrde
Summary: Several years after the Yuuzhan Vong invasion, the galaxy - and the Jedi - are still in the midst of rebuilding what was lost. On the world of Cataan, a young boy prepares to leave his home and start down the path of the Jedi...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:**

_Star Wars and associated material contained within works produced or published by LucasFilm Ltd., or its subsidiaries remains the sole property, copyright, and trademark of said entities. No profit is being made from this work. All characters contained within this work are original (with the exception of appearances by some canon characters); and remain the intellectual property of their originating writers._

This story is set in the same universe and time period as the other stories in the _Reflections_ Arc described by Callista Gseran. This story is set roughly a decade after the conclusion of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion

All characters used are used with permission of their originating writer.

Star Wars © LFL.

* * *

_**Star Wars: Beginning the Path**_

* * *

_It has been several years since the ending of the invasion by the extra-galactic race called the Yuuzhan Vong. Discovered to be devoid of any kind of presence in the Force, even the Jedi with all their abilities lost many knights and masters. _

_It seemed at first like nothing could stop them. _

_Joining forces with their old enemies in the Imperial Remnant, the New Republic continued to lose to the invaders. Matters became worse with internal dissent and fighting among different members of the New Republic leadership, at all levels. Blame was continually shifted to the Jedi for the losses and even the Jedi were segmented in their own way as they tried to combat this new threat. Groups of people, calling themselves the Peace Brigade, betrayed their own people to the invaders and began hunting down the Jedi to capture and deliver to their new masters as prizes._

_When the Yuuzhan Vong captured Coruscant, it seemed to many that all hope was gone._

_But slowly, new alliances were forged between enemies and the heroic commanders of the Rebellion rose once again to fight. The Jedi found new strengths with a newer generation coming forward into their own to fight alongside the masters of the new order. The Yuuzhan Vong started facing tougher battles. Eventually, the invaders were defeated, but the story didn't end there._

_When the fighting was finally over, the galaxy had suffered massive loss of life. Whole worlds destroyed or assimilated through bio-technical methods to serve as new homes for the invaders. Even though it had been many years, there was much to be done to rebuild what was possible to rebuild after all of the destruction. New colonies were built, worlds opened to help the refugees as best as they could. Explorers were out to discover new worlds to settled the displaced people._

_Located on the borders of the Inner Rim and the Expansion Region, trailward of the Corellian Trade Spine was a group of systems that was almost forgotten by many. A series of colony systems centered around the home system of a planet called Cataan. Hundreds of years before the invasion, Cataan and her colonies withdrew from the Republic. Remaining separated from the rest of galactic politics, they thrived as an independent hegemony. _

_A Jedi Master, Baal Legato, remembered accounts and stories that he had discovered and read of the people there, taking notice that there had even been a few Jedi of some renown that had come from there. He shared that information with the Jedi Council, knowing that the Order needed to rebuild alongside the Republic. After much talk and deliberation, it was decided that Legato should travel to Cataan. He hoped to talk with their leaders, see if they would want to rejoin and help in this time of rebuilding. Also, he hoped that he would find some that could take the first steps down the path of the order._

_All that he had hoped for was able to be accomplished, especially in his desire to find at least someone with strength in the Force. Visiting with locale noblemen in one of the provinces of Cataan's homeworld, he found that person. A young boy, the son of a retainer to the family he was meeting with, was discovered by accident. Legato was surprised at the level that felt radiating from this boy and talked with his family about the possibility of him training as a Jedi._

_This is how his story began..._


	2. Chapter 2

Baal Legato breathed in the cool, crisp air as he stepped off the transit shuttle that took him from Cataan's capital city and largest space hub of Kingston. The scenery that he looked at on the trip did not cease to amaze him. There were several planets in the New Republic that possessed an awe inspiring natural beauty, and some of them survived the events of the invasion. This was definitely one of them, he thought as he walked down the street of the town that had been suggested he visit. It was on his first visit that he commented on how serene everything felt and was told that it was a tradition of theirs. While they had made advances in technology, they did their best to balance the natural wonder that made up their planet. This was best done with the fact that most of their manufacturing facilities were off-world, on other planets and moons that were rated barren not only in their own system, but their colony systems had made the same decisions.

This was Baal's second trip to Edmonton and remembered the path that led to the residence. He smiled and enjoyed the walk as he pulled the hood of his robe over his head and started towards the Karrde household.

_And not a single person ever knew where that old scoundrel called home_, he thought. Talon Karrde was mysterious to all who knew him. Even those who were considered closest friends had never knew where he had come from, if he had any family. When Legato had discovered the family name of the youth he had come across it was nothing if not a surprise. The boy's father name sure that it was understood that Talon was a very distant relative, so much as pulling a book out of his massive library and showed the genealogy of the family.

It still made the Jedi chuckle as he went down the road.

* * *

"Your stance is too tense," his father said to him, "Relax your posture."

Rishard Karrde walked around as his son held a wooden bokken in his hands. He believed he knew the reason and understood it completely. There was a change coming and, he felt, a great opportunity for his son. And Rishard took pride in that. At one point in ancient history, their family had ties to Jedi in the form of a few members who took up that path. After too long a time, it was Steffan's time to discover that path and, Rishard hoped, would continue to walk that path with honor.

Steffan's mind was heavy with his own concerns as well. Normally, practice with his bokken helped him, allowed him to think as he moved through the first katas his father had begun teaching him. That was when he was five, and after three years it was so ingrained into the memory of his muscles that he was actually able to focus outside of his practice moves. According to his father, that was important...to learn technique to such a degree that to he be able to act and react to an opponent without having to _think_ about the technique.

But what had surprised Rishard was how fast Steffan had reached that point with the basic kata. Most other boys at his age were possibly learning second and third level patterns. Some might be learning the fourth, but his son was already at a level of skill that he was beginning to learn the fifth and last of the basic forms.

_The Jedi can teach him so much more than we can,_ Rishard said to himself as he watched his son move through the first stages he had taught him the other day.

"You're still too tense in your movements," he said as he raised his hand to stop his son in mid-swing.

"I'm sorry father," Steffan said as he lowered the practice weapon. "There's a lot on my mind."

"I understand, son," Rishard said as he walked up and patted the boy's shoulder. "We'll stop for today. The Jedi will be on his way to finalize the plans for your trip to Ossus."

"He's already on the way," Steffan almost blurted out, then settled down somewhat.

"You could tell?"

"I...feel a trace," the boy said grudgingly. "I was reading over some of the things in the book he brought me...and started thinking on it and trying it out. I think he's on the way."

Rishard nodded and shook his head. "I see that you're not just a fast learner on what your mother and I have been teaching you. It sounds like you've started taking a step into a much larger world."

"I don't really want to go to the house just yet," Steffan said quietly. "Can I head towards town?"

His father grinned and stood up. His son might have said town, but he knew the real place he was going to. "Go on, just be sure you're back by dinner."

* * *

"You leave tomorrow?"

"In the next few days," Steffan said as they sat underneath the tree. Jade LaCross was sitting next to him, leaning on his shoulder. It was probably the last moment to themselves that they would probably have for a while.

"Kat thought I was nuts for coming out here," she said softly. "After the talk that mother gave to me the last time. But I think father has cooled down her attitude about it some. I just don't know what she has about visiting you."

"I think that it's the times you're seeing me _alone_," Steffan answered with a laugh. "Your father is the council leader for the province...the lord back in old days. Mine is the magistrate, would have been the chief retainer."

"And _I_ don't care," Jade said, hitting him softly and getting another laugh out of him. "You're one of my best friends and I don't like you going away like this."

"I'm not leaving forever," he told her. "Everyone keeps thinking that."

He stood up and walked out a few steps to look over the mountains. "I've read the old stories...and I wouldn't completely throw away my family and friends...everything I've known for this. Master Legato told me it isn't the same as it was in the old order. The academy has breaks and lets students travel home if they wish...and I definitely will."

Jade stood up and walked up to envelope him in a hug. "Just promise me you'll write while you're gone."

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked with a smile. She tried to smile and pulled a small book out of her pocket to hand to him. "Kat put it together for me. Its got some pictures in it."

"Thanks," Steffan said as he looked back towards the sunset. "Can I walk you home before I have to head back?"

"Please," she whispered as she held him close.


	3. Chapter 3

Baal Legato sipped the warm drink from the mug he was handed by Rishard after the supper his wife had fixed for them. Steffan had come back to the house just before the table was set and ready. It drew a look from his father and Baal curious about the look. Almost as if a silent conversation had passed between father and son.

"It is simply amazing," he said as the two men sat in Rishard's study, having finished looking over a book of the family history that he had went over in depth a few times. "Even after all this time since the fall of the Empire, we've never been able to fully recover the histories of the Order. Some of the books you have here are so remarkable, Rishard. The depth and detail that your ancestors wrote here about the older days of the Jedi. Master Salusar would be ecstatic if she were able to even start glancing at this material."

"I thought you would be saying that at some point," Rishard said as he sat not in the chair behind the desk, but at the other chair opposite the sitting table from Baal. "I had spoke with a friend of mine that is a publisher and he agreed to print a copy of the materials I have...in Basic, since I'm sure that she can't read Cataani."

"I didn't either, until your monarchy was very helpful in providing me with a translation book," Legato added to that with a smile. "Tionne Salusar is much more gifted with languages and such than I am. I'm sure she would have no trouble picking up on it fast."

He read a few more pages and then put the page down. "I know she'll appreciate some fresh reading."

Rishard nodded and sipped at his drink for a few moments. "Master Legato...I've had friends, neighbors...other houses coming to me about Steffan going to Ossus. Mostly just questions out of curiosity, some concerned with what will happen there."

Baal nodded as he understood the questions that they would have. "Let me guess. The old practice of complete separation from the family. Rishard, there is no way we would do that now. The way the Order has had to be, knights and masters having a family and children..."

He didn't have to continue when the patriarch raised his hand and sipped his drink again. "I fully understood that, so has Kathleen. It is just a parent's concern about their child leaving home at such an early age. This isn't like one of our schools or at the academy. Even if he had went to one of the colonies, it is only a matter of an hour or two hyperspace travel. Ossus is days away."

The Jedi nodded knowingly at this and thought about his answer to it. "And I can probably guess that this is mostly your wife's concern?"

"And you would be right," Rishard answered with a slight chuckle. "I agree with his majesty on this part. We've been selectively isolated from most of the galaxy for too long. There is a great need right now from everyone that has been displaced and, I believe, there is a lot that we can do to help out."

Legato nodded and smiled at the notion. Force knows the help was greatly needed and, with the exception of some people, greatly appreciated. The inclusion of these people back into the Republic, he knew, would be a boost in so many ways.

"I know it is getting late," he said as he started to get up. "And there's going to be a lot to do in the morning."

"There is a guest room..." Rishard began to say.

"No, I would not wish to impose," Baal said with a wave of his hand. "I'd already arranged for a room at the inn in he village. And I have messages that I need to send off to the council and to the academy to let them know that we will be leaving tomorrow."

* * *

Sunrise came early through the mountains, the air crisp and cool with it as it was the beginnings of the fall season around the province. Up before everyone else, Steffan was sitting on the front step with a glass of water in his hand watching the mist over the peaks. Knowing he would come back didn't salve the sting he felt inside that he would miss it.

"You're up early," his father said as he walked out of the front door of the house, a mug of local caf in his hand as he joined Steffan on the step. "Couldn't sleep?"

Steffan nodded slowly and sipped his water. "Yes sir. I just couldn't quiet my mind enough."

"I'm the same way," Rishard told him. "A long trip or something important that's to happen, I'd have a hard time trying to sleep."

"So.." Steffan asked after a moment of thought, "You mean...?"

"I had a hard time sleeping last night too," Rishard answered with a laugh. "And I'm the one not going."

He looked over and saw Steffan lower his head a bit. "Did you say your farewells to Jade and the others."

Steffan nodded softly and sighed. "I think she took the hardest out of all of them."

"She cares a lot about you," Rishard acknowledged with a nod befor he took a drink of his caf. In fact, he and his lord, Jade's father, had already been talking over things. He got a laugh out of the fact that the only person who had issue with the two being so close was the girl's mother. But he kept that to himself for the moment. His son had other things to concern himself about this morning.

"Have you got the things you're taking ready?" he asked as he looked over at Steffan, who nodded once again. "Good. There's a few books I pulled that you might have wanted to read between studies. They're stacked on the table in my study."

"Yes, sir," Steffan said with a smile. "I think mother said something about having a package to put in my bag before we left."

"I did," Kathleen Karrde said as she walked out onto the porch and looked at her two menfolk. "And it is sitting with your father's books. Now, if you two are done here, there's breakfast waiting on the table."

* * *

It was later on in the morning when the shuttle landed on the pad that was situated across the lake from the house. Steffan and his parents were walking along the dirt and gravel path towards it as Baal Legato stepped down the gantry and waved in greeting as the family approached. Steffan bowed slightly as he came up to the shuttle and started to look over the lines of the old spacecraft.

"She looks like she's seen better days," he said quietly when he was finished.

"Just as with people," the Jedi told him with a nod. "What is important isn't what is on the surface, but what is inside."

"Yes, Master," the boys said with a smile and bowed again, more formally this time. Legato returned it and smiled before giving his greetings to his parents.

"Have you eaten?" Kathleen asked as Rishard helped Steffan load his items into the shuttle.

"I have mi'lady," Legato told her, using the customary honor he had started learning to use about how to address the people here. "But thank you. I have made sure we had provisions as well. It does take several days to get to Ossus."

She nodded at this as father and son walked back down the ramp to the tarmac. It probably wouldn't have been a point in mentioning that she was planning to prepare something to take with them, so she gracefully accepted that the Jedi beat her to it and smiled as she wrapped an arm around her husband.

"We've got everything loaded up," Rishard said as looked to Legato. "And I'm sure that the academy is eager to hear from you."

Baal nodded in acknowledgment, "I've spoken to them this morning, but you are right. I think Masters Salusar are looking forward to this. Steffan, are you ready?"

The boy nodded, then paused for a moment then walked up to his parents and embraced them both.

"Be careful," his mother said as she looked at him with a warm and loving smile, then held him close. "May the Lady keep you safe and guide you."

"I love you too, mother," Steffan said as he kept holding her tight for a moment longer and then looked over towards Rishard. "Father..."

Rishard knelt down and rested his hands on Steffan's shoulders, smiling softly to him as he nodded and looked at him in a new light. "I've tried to teach you as much as I could over the last few years, Steffan. Take to heart everything that Master Legato and the other Jedi have to show you. Above all, always make your decisions with a clear heart and act with honor."

"Yes sir," Steffan answered with a nod as his father pulled him into a hug.

"I'm very proud of you," he heard whispered to him softly. "Proud of this new path you have a chance to go down. Now...go knowing you have all our love with you."

Steffan nodded as he pulled away and took a deep breath before he started to turn around to board the shuttle. He took a few steps then started to stop. His parents and Master Legato were starting to hear it as well, the sound of horses – several of them – heading towards them. Steffan had a thought as to who it probably was and turned to look in the direction of the LaCross household. As if on cue, he spotted several rounding a section of trees and coming into the valley where the house was.

Looking back to Legato he had to ask him. "Master, if I may?"

Legato nodded, "but hurry, Steffan. We do need to leave."

"Yes sir," he said as he jogged on the grass towards the approaching party. He spotted Jade and her father. The other two he didn't recognize, but was sure that they were guards since her father was the local lord and governed over the area. As they approached, Steffan knew the etiquette already that his father had taught him and bowed low as the group came to a half.

"Steffan," Jade's father said as he returned the gesture with a nod of his head. "I see that we arrived in time."

"Yes, my lord," the youth said with a firm voice. He wanted to give the right impression that he was indeed ready and looking forward to what was going to happen. And, in truth, he was.

Her father nodded again and looked towards her. "Jade thought that a proper send off was needed. And I wanted to wish you well on your trip and in your studies."

"Thank you. I do appreciate the though," Steffan said with a smile as Jade walked up from where she dismounted. "I had a feeling that you might have shown up."

"Already learning that?" she asked with a slight grin and pulled something from her pocket. "I'll have to be careful now."

She held a simple pendant in her hand and regarded it for a long moment before she looked up at him again. "I had some pictures in the book I gave you, but I wanted you to carry this."

"I couldn't..."

"Yes, you could," she said as she placed it around his neck, then started to hug him. "Please be careful, Steffan."

Just from what little he had studies, he could tell that she was worried and didn't want him leaving. The way she had said it confirmed it as he pulled back and looked in her eyes. "I will, mi'lady. Promise."

"Steffan?" Bal called from the shuttle. "Its time."

Steffan was fixing to move when he felt Jade holding him still for a moment longer. When he turned to look at her again, she leaned forward and softly placed a kiss on his cheek. She stayed there for a moment longer and whispered something to him before she moved and went back to climb back onto her mount. He was taken back for just a moment, not know what to say. He nodded softly as he looked at her and started to see a tear in her eye. Jade's father knowingly nodded and returned the salute that Steffan gave him before the boy walked back towards the shuttle.

"I'm ready, Master Legato," the boy said as he reached the boarding ramp.

* * *

His parents walked back towards the house as the shuttle started to warm up. Everyone looked on as it started to lift and make the climb upwards and over the mountains.

"And so he begins," his mother said softly, wiping a few tears from her eyes after the shuttle was out of sight.

"Aye," his father said, starting to smile. "And I hope he does well."


	4. Chapter 4

Hyperspace travel, at Steffan's young age, was still a concept he had to deal with. His parents had told him before of what was out there and how people were able to travel around the galaxy. But he still felt unprepared. Master Legato was one of the few people he had known at this point in his life that wasn't Cataani or from one of her colony worlds. There normally wasn't a need for traveling for his family with the role that his father was in unless Jade's father was going to some event on one of the colonies. So, essentially, this was Steffan's first spaceflight away from what he'd known.

There wasn't really much of a time for adjustment, not in the usual sense. The couple of hours it took to jump from Cataan's main system to Yag'Dhul was spent getting settled in at first then spending the remaining time talking with Master Legato. He asked questions about what things were like at Ossus in general and the Academy in particular. During the time it took from Yag'Dhul to Bestine, Baal took turns answering and asking in depth questions of Steffan, getting a feel of the boy's personality, his aptitudes.

It surprised to the Jedi just the different talents that were being brought up in their discussions. Steffan had mentioned things in passing that spoke of different abilities not just in the Force, but with real applications as well. Rishard had mentioned in passing that his son had a habit of wanting to 'tinker' around with different items around the house. It had gotten the boy in trouble multiple times, but it was never discouraged.

Steffan's talking to him of a time where he had gotten into trouble with one of the local boys and had taken to hiding had interested Baal. When he asked for more detail, Steffan's answers about how he had managed to avoid the other youth and his allies spoke to him of abilities beyond what most considered a Jedi's ability to trick the mind. It was something he decided to look up more in depth while the boy was sleeping during the longer jump of the trip from Antar to Telti. He nodded softly as he made more notes on his thoughts about how to proceed as they jumped out of the Tanaab system and proceeded down the Perlemian Trade Route.

By the time they were coming off of the Trade Route and ready to make the final jump to Ossus, Steffan was already of the opinion that the couple of days spent on the spartan shuttle must have been a planned trial that he was going to have to get used to. Thankfully, he had packed several books to pass the time when he wasn't immersed in the materials that Master Legato had given him to start studying.

As he started, some of the reading was somewhat familiar to him. His father had told him of a few Jedi that they were descended from and he knew that there were several of their journals, possible teachings, which he packed into Steffan's bags. Master Legato, he knew, was to receive translated copies of these as well as some that, according to Rishard, had what he termed more advanced teachings...not something his son was ready for yet.

It was with relief that Steffan was feeling when Master Legato reached for the controls to disengage the shuttle's hyperdrive. Starlines faded away to points and before them laid that place that Steffan was going to call home for a time.

"Its..." he started to say, hesitating as he looked through the viewport to look at Ossus. The planet still looked to have several areas of the planet that looked to be different shades of brown. Through all of that, though, there were signs of green and blue that was starting to appear as they got closer.

"I agree," Baal said as he looked over at the youth. "It isn't much to look at now, but things will improve over time."

"What happened?" Steffan asked, knowing that galactic history wasn't a subject he had studied in depth at this point.

"This was a Jedi stronghold for several thousand years, and one of the first academies was established here when the original Jedi came here from Tython. All of our knowledge was stored here at one point. During the Great Sith War, the planet was caught in a shockwave from the explosion from a nearby area. It completely devastated the planet.

"How long as it taken to get back to this point?" the youth asked as they passed one of the two moons. "It looks like there's still a long way to go."

"We've been at this since Master Skywalker had decided to reestablish the academy here after the Invasion. Slowly, and with some help, we've been able to terraform parts of the ground around the Academy."

"And the Ysanna?" Steffan asked next, remembering from what he was reading on the trip. Legato nodded in understanding and answered as they entered the atmosphere.

"We have a relationship of mutual respect with the Ysanna," he told Steffan. "Some have even wanted to learn from us and join the Order. Some, granted, aren't as hospitable, but the academy grounds are some distance away from their territories. Some students like to run; hike and such around the area and your parents told me that you've taken to something along those lines as well. They'll probably point out the directions that will probably be safer for you to travel."

"Yes Master," the youth said as he settled down for the final approach to the Academy. What things he had unpacked for reading and clothing during the trip had already been repacked save for the book that he had held. Steffan left it alone, though, as he looked over the landscape. There were gardens around what Master Legato described as the main building of the Academy, where the main hall and some rooms for classes and sparring were located. Paths were visible to see, going from the main hall to other buildings that he knew would be quarters for teachers; students and other people who might be overseeing any kind of maintenance and other issues around the facility or elsewhere on the planet.

* * *

His meeting with the masters and his formal greeting had been uneventful. Steffan was sure that this was the way of things since he wouldn't be the only student there, so he was happy with that. Some things deserved nice celebrations, but something akin to what Steffan believed was just the admittance of a new student at a school wasn't one of them.

His capabilities at that point were tested and the masters had a starting point of where to begin with his training. What teaching his father had done already had impressed them, as well as the reading materials that were presented as a gift for them. Master Tionne was excited, in her way, for the genealogical reading as well as the histories that would add to what she had already compiled over the years. It was later in the afternoon when Steffan was shown to where he would call his quarters for at least the next several years. Dinner had been spent in the council hall with the elders, so he didn't have to see about a meal.

Now it was just a question of unpacking what he had with him. Looking over the room, he noticed that he had a roommate that had left him several shelves and a closet space on his own side. First to be unpacked was the tunics and pants he had brought with him. They were simple in design at his father's suggestion because both imagined that the rigors of training would take their toll after some time. Steffan had noticed that there was a set of robes in the colors that the Jedi wore laying on his bed. He looked at them for a moment and set them aside in the top drawer next some of his personal items.

"Not yet," he said mostly to himself as he closed the drawer. He wasn't ready to wear the robes, not having even started at this point. The last things he pulled from his bag were the books that his father had packed for him. Some he knew already, stories that he enjoyed reading. Some of history, and other things that he felt Steffan could use.

"Wow," he heard behind them. "Some of those look pretty old."

Steffan turned to see another youth about his own age in the doorway, toweling off his head and looking at him. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"Its okay," Steffan told him as he looked at the books as he put them on the small shelf above the head of his bunk. "I suppose some of them are pretty old. I guess you're the other occupant here?"

"I suppose so," the other said as he finished what he was doing and put the towel away. "I think I've been here a few months now, its easy to loose track of time here and there."

"I can imagine," Steffan commented as he finished what he was doing and put his things away before offering his hand. "Steffan Karrde."

"I'm Welt," his roommate answered as they shook hands. "I was going to get some rest here soon, mornings feel like they come early around here."

"We had spent so long in hyperspace traveling here; I could use the rest myself."


End file.
